Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Pharma News Only (pfe,mrk,wla, sgp, ahp, bmy, lly) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1172)	12/3/1998 1:04:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 1722

Just how healthy are drug stocks? Fund manager shifts toward midcap health stocks cbs.marketwatch.com

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1172)	12/3/1998 1:09:00 AM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1722

[PNU's] Detrol approved in Canada TORONTO, ON -- Dec. 2, 1998 -- Health Canada has approved Pharmacia & Upjohn's Detrol™ (tolterodine) Tablets, a new medication for the treatment of incontinence. Detrol is the first new drug in 12 years approved for this condition. Its effectiveness is combined with fewer side effects, such as severe dry mouth, that are common in other bladder control medications. Detrol curbs involuntary contractions of the detrusor muscle that surrounds the bladder. When this smooth muscle contracts, the flow of urine begins. Taken twice daily, Detrol 2 mg acts quickly to restore bladder stability and control bladder function. "Detrol works to reduce this uncontrolled bladder activity," said Dr. Sender Herschorn, chief of urology at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. "Because of the way it works, unpleasant side effects are drastically lessened. Increased tolerability means that patients are more likely to continue the medication and benefit from it." Overactive bladder is a major clinical problem with profound effects on patients' quality of life and activities of daily living. Symptoms include combinations of increased frequency of urination, a sudden urge or desire to urinate due to contraction of the detrusor muscle, or involuntary urine loss. Over 1.5 million Canadians suffer from some type of incontinence. Loss of bladder control affects people of all ages, primarily women and can disrupt work, leisure, sleep, sexual and social activity. It may cause sufferers to stop working, curtail their social activities and either restrict travel or stay at home. For example, some people plan day trips around public washroom locations or wear dark clothes to hide leakage. "The arrival of Detrol represents new hope for people using often ineffective methods to manage overactive bladder symptoms," Dr. Herschorn said. "For those suffering in silence, Detrol may provide relief and renewed freedom. For some it may mean a return to work and once again being productive and enjoying a social life." Family physicians are not asking about bladder health as often as they could. According to a recent Canadian Continence Foundation survey, when asked about their treatment history, almost 42 percent of 788 Canadians with loss of bladder control reported that their doctors had never asked whether they experienced any urine leakage. Respondents were 81 percent female, a figure consistent with female representation in other study findings and 29 percent were between the ages of 21 and 56, reinforcing the fact that loss of bladder control is not just a seniors' issue. The survey also revealed that women are less likely to consult a physician for treatment -- an alarming discovery since women suffer more commonly than men. Detrol was designed in response to the unmet need for a tolerable and effective long-term treatment of overactive bladder. In the largest clinical development program (almost 2,000 adult patients), pooled clinical data showed Detrol (2 mg twice daily) significantly reduced both the number of times people urinated over a 24-hour period and the number of incontinence episodes experienced over the same period. In clinical trials, Detrol demonstrated an excellent safety profile, especially in terms of dry mouth. The dry mouth side-effect was seen half as often as with other incontinence medications.